WHO KNEW that Acorns Need Sun to Sprout?

Oak trees are one of our most important trees, as they are host to more than 500 species of caterpillars that provide food for young birds. The acorns of oak trees need sun to germinate, so that a large oak found in a woodland must have started life at the edge of the woods, or in an opening made many years ago.

In an opening in the forest you can expect to find oak seedlings - if an oak is nearby. Or, its acorns could have been moved by small animals to that opening. You would then also expect to find oak saplings straining upward in that opening.

Sadly, in Hanover some woodland openings may have tiny oak seedlings but NO saplings. Hanover, especially its downtown, has an overly abundant deer population. The signs of this are some large groups of deer that hide in a woody patch during the day, but come out at night to browse in people's yards. Some folks have counted nearly 20 deer in a group that habituate their neighborhood.

If residents in these neighborhoods invite hunters to remove deer (doe in particular), that might help lower the deer density. A conversation hosted by the Hanover Conservation Commission, on hunting strategies for managing in-town deer herd was held on Oct 7 at the Howe Library. Retired USFS forester David deCalesta spoke: He suggested that, with permission from nearby homes, deer can be safely hunted in uncrowded residential neighborhoods by archery from tree stands at dusk or dawn. Here is a link to this event: https://youtu.be/MHvRCXCOFYM Those acorns might stand a chance when the deer population declines. In-town residents can play an active role in planning how to make this happen in their neighborhoods.

Think on this - the NH 2025 hunting season ends on December 15th. This is the first year that all archery hunters in NH can use a crossbow, which is easier to use and more accurate than a normal bow.